Nutrition Final Paper Essay Example for Free

Nutrition Final Paper Essay Question 1 (3 pts): Clients will often approach the RD, bewildered as to how to select, plan, and prepare a healthy diet for themselves or their families. Using yourself as an example, discuss the six basic principles of diet planning and how they apply to your dietary intake. Answer 1: Preparing and eating health meals for me and my family can be difficult with our busy schedule, but it starts with a plan. Using the 6 principles of diet planning I start with adequacy. I accomplish this by writing out a grocery list of all the things my family will need for the week. I also shop weekly because we prefer fresh fruit and vegetables. Next, I make sure we have an even balance of foods. I write out meal plans for the week to make sure my family has an even items of food and also a variety of foods. This can be very challenging with young picky kids, because my son would just eat fruit and oatmeal all day long if I let him. Variety is really hard in the Parker home because of the limited food choices do to my husband intolerance to red meats and dairy products. I also struggle because my favorite food list consists of about 10 different kinds of foods. We dont really have problems with the nutrient density because we only eat lean proteins such as fish, turkey, and chicken. My husband cannot tolerate fatty food so we dont fry, and we enjoy a fixed variety of fruits and vegetables. I do not pay attention to calorie content unless it is a prepackaged food you heat up or add water to, but I do make sure what Im putting into my families bodies is enough to keep them going for the day. Moderation is the last of the principles and a big one in my house. When cooking we do not add extra salt for taste nor do we consume foods with high trans fat, saturated fat,or cholesterol. Water is also the most consumed beverage. Soda has no home in my pantry, but we do elect for juices that are not made from concentrate. Question 2 (2 pts): Discuss the key recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 and differentiate these guidelines from the Canadian Guidelines for Healthy Eating. Do you have a preference as to which one you would use with clients? Answer 2: The dietary guidelines for Americans in 2010 have 4 main points. Starting with balancing calories to manage weight. With in this section it talks about how to maintain calorie control,intake,and balance. Also, is talks about physical activity and keeping active to maintain a healthy weight. In the Canadian guidelines it has in own section for keeping active and doing it in accordance to your body weight, but it really doesnt touch on calorie balance or intake. Next, the American guidelines touches on foods to reduce from your diet. Focuses limiting sodium, saturated, mono and poly saturated,cholesterol ,trans fats,added sugars,refined grains,and alcohol. Whereas Canadian guidelines really just focus a lot on salt intake, alcohol, and caffeine. Next American guidelines talks about food to increase. Included in this list is fruits, vegetables, fat free dairy, lean proteins, seafood, and foods that have more vitamins within them. The Canadian guidelines emphasis consuming a variety of complex carbs and foods from the earth. Also, incorporating low fat dairy products as part of a daly routine. Although, both will guide the average person to a healthier lifestyle I would refer my clients to the American guidelines because it goes in to more depth of how to live healthier. Question 3 (3 pts): MyPyramid is a popular graphic source for nutrition information. In fact, it is so popular that it has been duplicated as a graphic for exercise information, vegetarian diets, etc. Given its popularity, it would appear that MyPyramid is the best pictorial to teach consumers nutritional information. Would you agree or disagree? Why? After you have stated your own personal argument, consider the other perspective and discuss why someone would take this perspective. Answer 3: I believe MyPyramid is a great way to teach consumers nutritional information, but I disagree thats it is the best way. The people who need these guidelines the most are most likely ones who do not take the time to get on the Internet and use the tools that MyPyramid has to offer. I dont think it properly educates people on the right food choices in each group. Education on nutrient density is a lacking component when using MyPyramid. I also believe that the MyPyramid is lacking in teaching balance of healthy foods. It seems like they stress certain foods more than others and thus creating unhealthy habits for individuals not properly understanding their nutrition needs. Question 4 (3 pts) : Food manufacturing and technology continue to grow in sophistication. While one can certainly debate about the pros and cons of such growth, there is no doubt that consumers are often confused about the different labels given to the different types of processed foods! (a) In a few sentences, describe each of the following: fortified, refined, enriched, whole grain, and textured vegetable protein. (b) What are your thoughts on how these types of foods fit into the diet of the American consumer? Question 4 a) Refined foods are highly processed that have been stripped of their original nutrient content such as white flour and white pasta. Enriched foods add vitamins and minerals to replace the ones lost in the refining process. Fortified foods add vitamins and nutrients in addition to the ones found before the refining process. Question 5 (3 pts): To fully gain command of their dietary intake, consumers should know how to read food labels. Many find reading food labels very confusing. Why do you personally believe that consumers find food labels hard to read? Describe how you, if you were an RD, would educate your client on reading a food label. What do you think would be your priority point of education for your client? Question 6 (5 pts): As noted in your readings, describing a vegetarian diet is somewhat like describing a typical American diet; there are many varieties. Please describe the types of vegetarian diets one might come into contact with and provide a short synopsis on the food plan that would be followed. Question 7 (3 pts): Discuss the rationale why consumers/clients select to pursue a vegetarian dietary plan as well as the health benefits of following a vegetarian diet. Question 8 (3 pts): Discuss nutrients that an RD should be careful to assess for and discuss with a client pursuing a vegetarian program to ensure that their dietary plan allows for sufficient quantities of that nutrient.

The Water Crisis In South Africa

The Water Crisis In South Africa South Africa is currently facing a water crisis. Our sources are scarce and they are constantly being polluted and exploited by unsustainable practices in areas such as agriculture and industry. Unless realistic goals and solutions are used to manage the water supply, we will become increasingly reliant on obtaining water from external sources. Sources of Water South Africas water resources have always been very limited, and with increased population, the demand for water has also increased. This puts a lot of strain on South Africas water supplies because 65% of the country gets less than 500mm of annual rainfall. This rainfall is inconstant and is often contaminated by silt and erosion. There are various areas where South Africa stores and extracts water. Most of the water we use comes from surface run-off (9 500 million m3/year of the total of 12Â  871 million m3/year), about 78.5%. Most run-off from rainfall is held in dams such as the Gariep dam, the Vaal dam and the Sterkfontein dam. 66% of water in main rivers is not used for economic or social purposes but remains in the rivers. Another source of water is groundwater held in aquifers. This water is transported by underground pipe systems. It can also be brought to the surface by digging wells or building boreholes. Groundwater supplies about 10% of our national water supply. Becaus e South Africa does not have the resources to supply the countrys water demand, we import extra from Lesotho. This may result in dependency on countries such as Lesotho. Long term plans such as desalinisation of seawater could be used to supply water, but solutions such as this one are very expensive and difficult to do. Availability and Distribution Distribution of water in South Africa is very uneven as there is a shortage of water in the west but an abundance in the east. This is due to the warm Mozambican current that flows along the eastern shore in South Africa, contributing to humidity and heavy rains. The cold Benguela current runs along the west coast reduces the amount of water held in the air. The South Indian High Pressure is also located along the east coast. The high pressure brings high amounts of rainfall to the eastern side of South Africa. The South Atlantic High Pressure also brings rain to the western side of the country but only in winter when mid-latitude cyclones are present. These factors cause a huge difference in the amount of rainfall experienced on either side of the country, resulting in rainfall higher than 500mm in the east, and lower than 500mm in the west. Because of this huge inequality, water in South Africa is very scarce and not readily available, causing us to import water from other countrie s such as the aforementioned Lesotho. Water supply in cities is also lower than in rural areas. For example, in Cape Town, because rainfall is scarce in the summer and spring seasons, water for domestic and industrial use is pumped into the city by underground pipe systems. A lot of the water in South Africa cannot be utilized as it is either salty seawater or it has been polluted by people, industry and agricultural practices, negatively effecting availability in the country. Usage by Economic Sectors Water is utilized by three main economic sectors; agriculture, factories and forestry. In agriculture, which uses 64% of South Africas available water, water is used for irrigation and livestock. Using it for crop farming can be damaging because the water is polluted by chemicals such as insecticides and pesticides. This infiltrates into rivers and groundwater and can reduce South Africas available water resources. 29% is used in factories and manufacturing. This can also be harmful as the water is mixed with poisonous chemicals such as nitrates before being released back into the environment. The other 6% of water used in the economic sector is used in forestry. It is used to irrigate forestry plants for companies such as SAPPI who produce paper and the like, until the forest is well enough established to grow and thrive without irrigation. The water that is used in the economic sector reduces the amount of water that can be used domestically. The water used in these sectors is also often utilized in unsustainable manners, as it returns to the environment containing pollutants. Another economic sector which utilizes water unsustainably is the mining sector. Mine shafts often become flooded and excess water from the mines is released back into the environment containing highly toxic pollutants and sediment from the mines. Management and Solutions There are multiple ways in which water can be used sustainably. Agricultural sectors can reduce the amount of fresh water they use by using grey water from areas such as drain pipes to water crops and gardens. Grey water can also be used in toilet systems. The forestry sector can use sustainable practices such as planting indigenous trees which use less water than alien species such as gum trees. To conserve water in the household, public messages could be sent out by the government and municipalities to shower instead of bath, and to avoid planting alien species in their gardens, such as roses and pansies. The government could fund new projects such as the construction of new dams which would be used domestically, in industry, for irrigation and for hydroelectric power. However, this does have a negative aspect to it, as dams are very expensive to build and can often be damaging to the surrounding environment if not designed properly. Another step which could be taken to conserve So uth Africas water is wetland conservation. Wetlands can regulate pollutants and diseases carried in water. Wetlands reduce erosion, they purify water and they contain bacteria which break down organic compounds. They also prevent droughts and floods which saves the government about R21 million. Wetlands also help regulate river flow which is where we get most of our usable water from. Another form of managing water is Water harvesting. This involves collecting rain water during a storm and preventing it from running off. Not only does this prevent erosion, but this water can then be used for agricultural purposes instead of fresh river water. This is a cheap, easy practice which can be implemented on all farms. A simple way to prevent water wastage is by controlling unnecessary losses. These can come in the form of pipe leaks and wasteful irrigation methods. Water pipes should be strictly monitored and regularly checked to ensure that no water is being lost through leakages. Irrigat ion methods such as canals and spraying are unreliable, because while the water is in the canals it can infiltrate into the soil or evaporate before it reaches the crops so extra water has to be used. Spray irrigation is unreliable as the wind can blow the spray away before it reaches the crops. Methods of irrigation such as drip irrigation should be implemented as it is much more efficient Conclusion Although water resources in South Africa are currently being over-exploited and unsustainably managed, there are multiple methods of conservation which can be implemented to improve South Africas permanent water supply.

Analysing the change in the role of the management accountant

Analysing the change in the role of the management accountant This work is focused on critically evaluating the tenacity of the change in the role of the management accountant from traditional accounting functions to that of a strategic planner and business partner. The work of Johnson and Kaplan (1987), titled Relevance lost has prompted a drill-down on this research area. Though most of the researchers agree to the changing role of the management accountant (Burns and Baldvinsdottir, 2005; Cooper and Dart 2009; Allot 2000; Chenhall and Langfield-Smith2007; Siegel1999; Kerby and Romine 2005; Vaivio1999; Ittner and Lacker2001; Ax and Bjornenak 2007;Bhimani 2006;Roslender and Hart 2002). The importance the traditional role still remains vital to others, and should serve to complement the new techniques or the change. (Bromwich and Bhimani 1998; Burns et al. 1999). Others are of the view that history is still a relevant part of the future or the changing trend. (Fleischman and Funnell 2006; Luft 1997;Beaman and Richardson2007).The type of organization as well as the management may also determine the nature of change. Yazdifar and Tsamenyi(2005). This change does not take the same form in organizations, but differs in pattern. Sulaiman and Mitchell (2005). With the present economic miasma, some researchers are even advocating a return to the old ways: the traditional role, (Baldvinsdottir et al (2009). The first section of this work will therefore review these views presented and try to draw a comparison between these views to see if the role of the management accountant has actually changed and to what extent. This will be done drawing support from literatures. It will immediately be followed with some of the new roles the management accountant is taking up in organizations. Thereafter the position of traditional accounting practice in this new trend of events will be discussed. This will enable us to know where to place the traditional accounting role, whether it has lost its usefulness and should be totally discarded or should serve to compliment the new roles. Next to that, some of the new techniques in management accounting that organizations are adopting, the factors that are driving the change in role as well as their significance to the new role will be discussed. Conclusions will then be drawn as to the management accountants roles change. The changing role of the management accountant. Johnson and Kaplan (1987) are deemed to have set the sail in this argument with their book titled Relevance lost: the rise and fall of management accounting. These strong terms used by them has prompted or necessitated a lot of research work in this direction. They argue that the existing form of management accounting lacked the know-how to meet up with the dynamic business environment. Their argument was supported by citing technological advancements, information technology, as well as global and domestic competition as reasons making the existing practices inadequate. According to an article published in the Journal of Accountancy (Most Companies Want Their CPAs to Be Business Strategists, Survey Says, 1996), much more is now being demanded of the management accountants within organizations. Their jobs are going beyond the preparation of financial statements as explanations and interpretation are now required of them of the information they provide. The management accountant is accordingly a high-level decision support specialist. Kerby and Romine (2005) argue that for management accountants to remain a relevant part of their organizations, there must be a change in emphasis from the traditional accounting practices which involves the counting, analysis, interpretation and presentation of financial information. They advocate that the management accountant should be versed with knowledge about changes affecting the business of his organization and imbibe qualities that would enable them function as full-fledged business partners. Smith (2007) opined that the focus of the management accountant within organizations is now shifting to the external environment. That the management accountant is no more uniformed of what happens externally to his organization, He now looks both inwards and outwards. Cooper and Dart (2009), give support to this view that, management accountants are moving from being information providers to supporting the decision making. Siegel (1999), noted that management accountants were before now not involved in the actual decision-making process, but acted in support of the decision makers and later got informed of facts. But the role of the management accountant had changed and greater part of their time was being spent as internal consultants or business analyst within their companies. Like most of the other writers he attributes this changing role to the advancement in technology which he states has freed the management accountant from what he describes as mechanical accounting. He stated that the new role of the management accountant now involves a lot of direct contacts with people throughout their organizations, and that they are more involved in decision making and cross-functional teams. This he termed evolution from serving internal customers to being business partners. The management accountant as strategic planner and business partner. The central message of this work has been on the management accountant assuming the role of strategic planner and business partner as opposed to the traditional role of corporate cop and bean counter. The management accountants role has evolved and is shaping up into a strategic financial planner and manager of information. The management accountant is said to be having less to do with the routine accounting practice. (Siegel 2000, Cooper and Dart, 2009, Latshaw, A. and Choi, Y., 2000). New areas of focus of the management accountant include the development of financial plans, information technology systems management, helping in the formation of business objectives as well as monitoring results and keeping up with marketing objectives. Others are management and organization of workforce, playing advisory role in operational decisions, programmes and projects. (Feeney and Pierce, 2007). For the management accountant to function effectively as business partner, certain skills must be acquired. This will include the quality of analyzing and processing oral and numeric data into meaningful information. This should be buttressed by the ability to work effectively in a team. (Curruth, 2004) As business partner, the management accountant combines both the traditional role of protecting the assets of the business with a new role of analysis and participation in decision making in the business administration.(Kennedy and Sorensen, 2006). Caron (2006), outlined steps that should be taken for the management accountant to assume the position of a business partner. They include: Acting as operation and knowledge expert. He/she should be able to provide best practice information and strategic skills. Should be able to put to practice the knowledge acquired in developing strategic management plans. He/she should be able to mobilize the human resources at his disposal. He/she should be able to disseminate accounting information effectively. Management accounting the position of the traditional role. Although Johnson and Kaplan(1987) opined that the traditional accounting role of the management accountant had lost its value and have argued that it is no more relevant to the dynamism of todays world, not everyone believe their opinion is best for management accounting, and have thus expressed their reservations. (Bromich and Bhimani 1989; Burns et al 1999; Yazdifar and Tsamenyi 2005). Baldvinsdottir et al. (2009) are of the opinion that a return to the traditional or mechanical accounting methods is of great importance especially at this period of economic down-turn. They argue that although the hype about the changing role of the management accountant, a lot of the traditional accounting role has relatively remained the same over several decades. Luft (1997) is of the view that history serves as a platform for understanding the present; that the lapses of the present could actually be alleviated by referring back to history. Fleischman and Funnell (2006), while agreeing with Johnson and Kaplan, that it is important that management accounting reports provide management with information that will aid them in minimizing cost and improved productivity, argue that although these activities are forward looking, they have to be based on what they described as intimate dependence between the past and future. They insist this is necessary because of the uncertainties and instabilities associated with commercial environments, coupled with the intricatsies of management. That, management accountants in the course of trying to make the information they provide more useful to their organizations should bear in mind that this should be done in observation of necessary ethical issues. Beaman and Richardson (2007) found out in their research that accounting practices within organizations are being confined to the traditional role, instead of the expected role of decision support and problem solving. There has been the acknowledgment of the wide use of traditional accounting techniques in most organizations as opposed to the supposed expectation of radically new innovative accounting techniques being adopted by these organizations. ( Burns and Scapens, 2000). Emerging techniques in management accounting. Some relatively new trends/techniques have emerged with the aim of tackling the inadequacies of the traditional accounting methods. Some of them have been lauded as the new champions of management accounting solution providers in organizations. (Cooper and Kaplan, 1991). Although these techniques are highly praised, their adoption and implementation may not have been as widely accepted as the hype associated with them. (Collier and Gregory, 1995; Roslender and Hart, 2003). These techniques include: Activity based costing (ABC); The advent of ABC has changed the practice of cost allocation requiring that management accountants develop more analytical skill to tackle the complexities of allocating overheads to different cost objects using cost drivers. (Burns and Yazdifar, 2001; Byrne and Pierce, 2007; Anderson, 1995). ABC made the management accountant an essential part of the decision making process by focusing on pertinent information needed to improve firm performance financially and market wise. (Kennedy and Affleck-Graves, 2001). Kaplan and Anderson (2004) however noted that organizations have abandoned ABC because of its failure to capture the complex nature of their operations, the delays of implementation and the cost effect which are usually too expensive. Balanced scorecard (BSC): The balanced scorecard enables the management accountant to strategically measure performance and develop a framework for the strategic measurement and management systems (Kaplan and Norton, 2007). It changes emphasis from financial aspect to embracing customer, internal and as well as learning and growth factors of organizations. (Kaplan and Norton, 1996). This has altered the role of the management accountant placing him strategically as a decision support specialist. (Latshaw and Choi, 2002). BSCs are adopted by firms for strategic performance measurement, but the outcome of these measures is usually developed to embrace operational strategy, however it was noted that organizations often fail in trying to put BCS into a particular use (Wiersma, 2009). Atkinson (2006) noted that the BSC has been found deficient from empirical results of its benefits. Strategic management accounting: Strategic management accounting (SMA): SMA shifts the focus of management accountant to non-financial factors external to the organization. (Simmonds,1981). It demands that the management accountant be knowledgeable in topics like performance indicators development, value chain analysis as well as capacity cost management. It broadens the scope of the management accountant beyond the firm to strategizing for competitive market and opportunities. (Whiteley, 1995). SMA requires the management accountant as a member of the cross functional team which his role now embraces to bring to bear relevant information and expertise that will aid decision making. (Roslender and Hart, 2001). The management accountant now addresses the impact of other non-financial activities, the cost position of competitors, and evaluation of rival products and services. These activities have placed the management accountant in the significant role of strategic planner and business partner.(Whiteley, 1995; Langfi eld-Smith, 2008). However, Roslender and Hart (2003), noted that what constitutes strategic management accounting is still not clearly defined. Collier and Gregory, (1995) opined that the level of implementation of strategic management accounting may defer in different economies. That is, the economy determines the strategy and functionality of the management accountants. Enterprise resource planning (ERP): ERP requires the management accountant to have sound knowledge that will enable him to provide information that will technically meet the needs of the firm. It also demands that the MA be versed with knowledge of business functions related to production, marketing and information technology. For the management accountant to get going with all these functions, he needs to build a sound inter-personal and social skills. (Barton, 2009;Pierce and ODea, 2003). It may however reduce jobs, creating unemployment. Enterprise resource planning (ERP): enables the management accountant to track production by job, work center, and activity (Zimmerman, 2009:720). However, respondents to research carried out by Knnerley and Neely (2001) were not sure the introduction of ERP to their organizations had made any noticeable impact. Factors driving the change in the role of management accounting. The usefulness of management accounting has come under scrutiny following factors like: automation of factory processes and procedures, information technology, competition, and globalization, complexity of business among others. Some of these factors and their significance will be discussed briefly. Information Technology: (Carruth, 2004; Beaman and Richardson, 2007), noted that information technology has enabled management accountants to take more responsible roles in their organizations. The management accountant is now able to save time in his analysis and interpretation of information. The management accountant helps in presenting data in a form that makes them relevant and useful for managerial purpose. This involves strategizing and being involved in the decision making process. Granlund, M. and Malmi, T. (2002) It has changed the nature of information and placed decision making on information provided by the management accountant. (Atkinson et al. 1999). Automation; requires the management accountant to develop more analytical skills and to be able to provide such information that will enable firms take decisions and adopt such strategies that will help them stay in competition. (Kerremans et al., 1991). Automation is advantageous in lowering labour cost, but may create job losses. (Mantripragada and Sweeney, 1981). Other factors: Other notable factors driving the role change in management accounting include; the emphasis on quality, intellectual capital, more customer focused organizations, increase in overhead cost, less of direct labour cost, and priority on environmental and external issues. These factors have helped tailor the management accountants role to that of a strategic planner and a business partner. The management accountant now takes a more proactive role in knowing and providing solutions to strategic issues in his organization. The issue of competitive business environment which is closely related to globalization is another major factor affecting the way management accounting functions are handled in organizations. Conclusion Although there have been needs for the change in emphasis on the role of management accountant, this change has not been absolute. This is because the cost and complexity of applying these new techniques have made their adoption slow. The introduction of new techniques in management accounting and the impact of various factors have made the management accountant more focused on non-financial aspects of organizations and has widened the scope of activities external to the organization, making him a useful part of the decision making process. However recent issues following the economic downturn has suggested retention of part of the traditional role in combination with new techniques might be more useful. ( Balvinsdottir et al., July/Aug. 2009) Moreover, the importance of these new techniques and the benefit they provide to organizations cannot be overemphasized. These new innovations have made the management accountant more flexible, a solution provider and an important part of the organization as business partner and strategist, restoring relevance. (Johnson, 1992). It is noteworthy that though many are the advantages of implementing these new techniques, some organizations still stick to traditional accounting because it is less complex to implement, saving time.

The Arab-Israeli Conflict :: History Arabic Israel Essays

The Arab-Israeli Conflict The Arab-Israeli conflict is one of the most prolonged and bloody conflicts in not only modern history, but in the ancient world as well. The roots of the conflict, as well as the arguments on both sides, are as diversified and complicated as the conflict itself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Israelites started to conquer and settle the â€Å"land of Canaan,† which is present day Israel, in 1250 B.C.. King Solomon ruled the Israelites and the land of Israel from 961-922 B.C.. Following his reign, Israel was split up into two kingdoms. The southern kingdom, Judah, was conquered by the Babylonians, who drove its people, the Jews, into exile and destroyed Solomon’s temple in 586 B.C.. After seventy years or so, the Jews began to return to Israel and the temple of Solomon was gradually rebuilt. By 333 B.C., Alexander the Great and his army brought the area under Greek control. By 165 B.C., a revolt in Judea established the last ancient Jewish state. Then, in 63 B.C., Judea was incorporated into the Roman province of Palestine. By 70 A.D., A revolt against Roman rule was put down by the Emperor Titus. Shortly after, the Temple of Solomon was once again destroyed. This marks the beginning of the Jewish Diaspora. From 118-138 A.D., during th e Emperor Hadrian’s reign, Jews were allowed to return to Israel. However, after another Jewish revolt in 133 A.D., Jerusalem was completely destroyed and its occupants, the Jews, banished and/or sold into slavery. Then, in 638 A.D., the Arabs came onto the scene in a major way with their conquest of the area. By early in the 8th century, the second Caliph of Islam, Omar, had built the Al-Asqa Mosque on the site in Jerusalem, or Al-Qods as the Arabs called the city, where they believe the prophet Mohammad ascended into Heaven. Except for the period of the Crusades, the area remained under Muslim rule under the Ottoman Empire until the United Nation’s mandate which gave the land over to the Jews to establish Israel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Zionism is the international movement to establish a Jewish state in the land where Israel once stood. The first Zionist Congress met in Basle, Switzerland, in 1897 to discuss Theodore Herzl’s 1886 book, The Jewish State, in which he discussed establishing a Jewish state, primarily in response to European anti-semitism. The Congress issued the Basle program to establish â€Å"a home for the Jewish people in Palestine secured by public law.

Narcolepsy :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Wake Up! A Quick Look at Narcolepsy It is estimated that humans spend one-third of their lives asleep (1). With sleep appearing to be not only the ultimate pastime, but also a survival imperative, the field of sleep research is quite broad, boasting many different areas of study. By examining phenomena like sleep disorders neurobiologists can hope to understand the mechanisms of normative sleep, in addition to perfecting treatment for suffers. Narcolepsy is one such disorder that affects an estimated 250, 000 or 1 in 2000 Americans; similar numbers are estimated for Parkinson's or multiple sclerosis (2). A widespread, though often misdiagnosed disease (fewer than 50, 000 are aware of their condition), narcolepsy can be characterized by chronic daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, sleep paralysis, and hypanogic hallucinations (3 ). The latter three of the tetrad of symptoms also occur in non-narcoleptic individuals; sleep episodes are the main determinant in diagnosis. Only 20 to 25 percent of narcoleptics suffer from all fou r symptoms (2). This paper has several goals, all of which involve clarifying the disease and its symptoms in different contexts. In order to do this sleep will first be explained in some detail, followed by a biological and psychological treatment of narcolepsy. Research of narcolepsy and its implications for the future shows steps to be taken in order to garner a better understanding this particular brain/behavior relationship. To start at a beginning of sorts, REM sleep and its importance should be discussed. Sleep is in fact not the passive activity it was once assumed to be. It appears that during sleep many things are going on in the brain, which are documented by electroencephalograms (EEGs) measuring neocortical neuronal activity. Sleep occurs in a cycle of distinct stages, with apparent contrasts from early sleep, deep sleep, and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep (4). During REM sleep neurons in the neocortex behave similarly to how they would when a person is awake, displaying desynchronized EEG. The first REM stage occurs 70 to 90 minutes into sleep and approximately 20% of a night's sleep is spent in this type of sleep (4). Since this stage of sleeping is associated with dreaming, it is logical that in REM sleep muscles become temporarily paralyzed, a state called muscle atonia. REM sleep is important for overall health and regulation of the nervous system. In other sleep stages, or non-REM stages, E EGs are synchronized, only partial muscle relaxation is present, and dreaming is less frequent (2).

The Princess Bride Movie Review

Savannah Sheets 9th English 24 May 2012 The Princess Bride Movie Review â€Å"Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die. † This is one of the many humorous lines in the movie, The Princess Bride. The Princess Bride is a romantic, action-comedy film and was directed by Rob Reiner in 1987. The plot of this movie is a fairytale narrated by a grandfather to his grandson full of action in attempt of getting a kidnapped princess back to her childhood love the day before her planned marriage with the prince.The main characters, Buttercup the princess (Robin Wright) and Westley (Cary Elwes) fall in love when they are just two young teenagers shown at the beginning of the story. Fate separates them for 5 years and soon brings them back together before she gets married to Prince Humperdinck. Westley, her childhood sweetheart, wears a disguise and follows 3 men who have kidnapped Princess Buttercup to get her back. His wits help him team up with the kidnappers and overcome Prince Humperdinck and his ‘army’.Westley is caught but soon escapes with the help of Fezzik the Giant and Inigo Montoya. They all jump out of the window and ride away on horses. Westley and Buttercup marry and live happily ever after. The Princess Bride is often compared to the movies Ella Enchanted, Spy Kids, and Stardust, all of which have different aspects of themes that were similarly incorporated in the movie. It took place in the fictional countries of Florin and Guilder, sometime between the establishment of Europe and after the manufacturing of blue jeans.The story reaches out mostly to the young adult audience, but would easily be satisfactory to people of other audiences as well. The events in the story are highly unlikely, but are well-structured and amusing to the viewers which help it to be easier to understand. The dialogue is meant to sound like the story was based from the medieval times, with a twist of comedy. Finally, the themes portray ed in this movie were that true love conquers all. Westley, even after all of the time spent apart, found his true love and in the end it all worked out with a happily ever after.Good versus evil is also a theme in this movie because Prince Humperdinck tries to marry Princess Buttercup knowing that she is still in love with Westley. Even though it was an arranged marriage, Prince Humperdinck tried to convince her that it would take time for them to fall in love, but they would eventually get used to it. Princess Buttercup has a nightmare which opens her eyes. She dreams about the marriage which is interrupted by who is known as â€Å"The Ancient Boo-er†. She tells Buttercup that she is a disgrace because she has power but isn’t using it to her advantage and is letting down the people of her country.

Reflective Essay Essay

This essay aims to critically review my strengths and weaknesses as a self-regulated learner, in relation to key skills which demonstrate my ability to use reflective practice. Also, the essay will identify and implement the learning skills required to complete the modules in Year 2 of the programme. It will produce and make use of individual learning plans that reflect how I could improve upon my interpersonal skills and implement a personal development plan. Furthermore, a demonstration of application of key skills together with learning and interpersonal skills in a variety of settings will be made. The framework this reflective essay will follow has been adapted from the work of Borton (1970) Reach, Teach and Touch; along with Boud et al (1985) Turning Experience into Learning. A reflective essay is a piece of writing that basically involves your views and feelings about a particular subject. The goal of a reflective essay is to not only discuss what you learned, but to convey the personal experiences and findings that have resulted, Spinello (2012). However in order to critically evaluate and reflect the individual, must become a self-regulated learner. Students who are self-regulated learners collaborate with other students in exchanging ideas, eliciting assistance when needed, and providing support to their peers. They see the connection between their efforts and learning success, Trejos (2010). Zimmerman (2000) points out that, self-regulation is not a mental ability or an academic performance skill; rather it is the self-directive process by which learners transform their mental abilities into academic skills. These learners will monitor their behaviors in terms of their goals and self-reflect in order to increase their effectiveness. Self-regulation is important because a major function of education is the development of life-long learning skills, Zimmerman (2002, p. 66). In relation to the following key skills of, communication, numeracy, use of information technology, learning to learn and working with others, I have been able to identify my strengths and weaknesses. One of the areas in which I considered to be competent in was written communication, as I could  express myself more openly and creatively, this has been evident by the use blackboard discussions, emails and academic writing. Linked to this, my IT skills are also one of my biggest strengths, as I am able to utilize these skills to support and further develop communication, interpersonal and academic skills. My empathetic listening skill enables me to gain mutual understanding and supports me to work with others, where new knowledge and experience can be exchanged, which contribute to my ongoing learning. On the other hand, the identified areas that I need improvement in are my confidence in verbal communication, although one to one communication is not a problem, but communicating and presenting to larger groups is where I feel nervous. Building up confidence in this area is vital, as it is a key component of nursing practice, to ensure effective communication between patients, team members and multidisciplinary teams. From year one of the nursing programme to year two; I have seen an improvement in my general math’s skill, however I required further practice in this area, which will supported me to pass my drugs calculation exam for year 2. Additionally, exam preparation and revision techniques were another area which I needed to work on, as a result it facilitated towards preparing me for module 6 – immediate and continuing care examination. Last but not least, my academic writing skills which also required to be developed so that I would be able to produce work at level 5 standard, for additional module two – examining health and social care needs of vulnerable adults and module five – understanding evidence-based nursing. Once I identified my strengths and weaknesses, I was able to set three goals for the academic year and produce an action plan for each goal, which was implemented in a personal development plan. A personal development plan is described as â€Å"a structured and supported process undertaken by an individual to reflect upon their own learning, performance and/or achievement and to plan for their personal, educational and career development†, (LMU, 2001). The three chosen goals for year 2 of my nursing programme were specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely (S.M. A. R. T). Goal one, was set out to help me become competent in critically appraising evidence and literature, which supports the learning skills of being able to produce academic work at level 5 standards. This goal required gaining understanding and knowledge of critical appraisal, as well as thoroughly comprehending the elements of critical appraisal and correctly identifying and using tool, frameworks and guidelines to critically appraise evidence and literature. The significance of achieving this goal was to help me complete year 2 modules of understanding evidence-based nursing and examining health and social care needs of vulnerable adults and achieving an overall good grade in both modules. What I generally thought was, for the understanding evidence based nursing essay I did not perform well with my critical appraisal, as most of my time was spent on formulating a PICO question and did not have sufficient time to write a powerful essay. However results showed that I gained an overall 55% mark, and comments that were given by the moderator were as follows ‘Critical appraisal – You have identified the framework and the article for critical appraisal. In this part you have detailed the research process as reported in the article; although you have attempted to analyse the research validity and reliability but they should have been further developed. You should have critically analysed the quantitative research rigor – validity, reliability and generalisability of the study findings supported with relevant literature’. So the importance of having constructive feedback is to make sure that I know which areas that I am potent in and which areas that I need to improve for the next essay, in order for me to critically appraise more coherently. As a result of this, for my examining health and social care needs of vulnerable adults module essay; which also involved critically appraising three research articles, I received an overall mark of 66%. The moderator’s comments for analysis and synthesis were that ‘You have made a good critique of the limitations of the studies. ’ And the quality of expression was indicated as ‘generally good. ’ Now I feel more confident in my critical appraisal skills, I believe with further practice I will be able to appraise articles and gain higher marks to help me progress on to year three. Goal two was aimed at preparing and passing module 6 – immediate and continuing care unseen examination, based on three patient journeys of diabetes, coronary heart disease and rheumatoid arthritis. This goal was linked to learning skills of exam preparation and revision techniques. The  steps that were taken in achieving this goal were to create a revision timetable to manage time; to use different revision and rehearsal techniques i. e. flow charts, mind-maps, revision cards, rehearsing exam papers in timed condition and having a study buddy. Combined with this, whilst reading literature and gathering information, I collected relevant references to create a reference list for the examination. What I thought was the daunting part of this goal was practicing exam papers in timed condition, as three hours seemed like a long time. What was interesting is that once I had all the suitable materials and information and began to do a timed essay, three hours seemed shorter than expected; with continuous practice this helped me to pick up my writing speed and also managing time per essay. With the use of mind maps and flow charts I was able to access information quick and easy, rather than going back to textbooks and online resources. Having prepared in this way prior to the exam made me feel confident and relaxed and I was able to manage my time efficiently. So the significance of preparing ahead is that it helps me to become proactive; managing time helps me to prioritise what is important and what needs to be attended in sequence. And using relevant resources is essential for learning success and achievement. Now I feel that I have generally performed well in my exam, as much of what I revised came up and I was prepared. Although time felt like an issue, I was able to use my time productively and efficiently. What I think I could improve for next time, is begin planning and revision sooner and rehearse more timed essay as practice makes perfect. Additionally, what I have learnt throughout this module I will be able to apply to clinical practice, and as an individual be prepared and have the ability to act accordingly when foreseen and unforeseen circumstances arise. Goal three demonstrates my ability to use my existing general maths skills with further practise, to pass drugs calculation examination for year 2. For this goal, the steps that were taken in order to achieve the goals were to use Authentic World (SafeMedicate) to revise for the exam, to do online mock exams in timed condition, and revise on general maths skills. What I didn’t realise was that the drugs examination was compulsory for every year throughout the nursing degree programme. However, as I had already passed my year one drugs calculation exam with full marks of 90/90, I didn’t find year two to be too difficult as it was on three areas from the previous year of tablets & capsules, liquid medication and Injections. I found that accessing authentic world and revising the areas and completing the mock exams were easily within the comfort of home. I was able to revise where I wanted and when I wanted, support was available from other maths revision sites. So after revising the key areas and doing timed questions, I felt confident in sitting the actual exam. I completed the exam within the time limit, reviewed my questions and answer and received my final mark of 90/90 on first attempt, which I was very pleased with. Now that I have achieved full marks on my first attempt I am able use this knowledge of drug management to aid my drugs administrative skills whilst on second year placement. What I will aim to do for year three drugs calculation exam is to refresh and revise over previous areas, and also read ahead on the additional section that will be added to year three exam. On achievement of these three developmental goal, I have been able to make connection between the learning and interpersonal skills to a variety of settings. From goal one I understand being able to critically appraise in nursing practice means that patients can benefit from the best possible outcome with backup from reliable and valid researches that have been carried out. Thus, as a healthcare professional I am able to gain knowledge to ensure and/or provide effective and dynamic care. From goal two of understanding long-term illness of coronary heart disease, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis from journeys of simulation patients. I have been able to prepare myself to have knowledge and have the ability to cooperate in a situation where I will work with real patients with these types of conditions. Long-term illnesses and conditions affects vast majority of the population and therefore keeping knowledge update is an essential way to promote health and provide information to others. With support from goal three of safely calculating drug dosages for supporting drug administrative skills, is essential part of nurse training. To ensure that the right patients receive the right dose of the right medication, at the right time, through the right route, as drug errors can be fatal to the outcomes of the patient. In conclusion, this module has helped me to develop from being an independent learner to a self-regulated learner. Where I am able to identify my strengths and weaknesses in relations to key skills; and critique my competency and incompetency towards creating goals, and reflect upon the process in achieving these goals. Overall for year two of this programme I have achieved my set goals, and I have developed the ability to use key skills along with learning and interpersonal skills in providing best judgement in different settings. References: Borton, T (1970) Reach, Teach and Touch. McGraw Hill, London Boud D, Keogh R & Walker D. (1985) Reflection: Turning Experience into Learning. Kogan Page, London. London Metropolitan University (LMU) (2001) Personal development planning (Online) available at: www. londonmet. ac. uk/library/z62053_24. doc. [Accessed last: 11 January 2012] Spinello, S. (2012) what is a reflective essay? (Online) available at: http://www. ehow. com/about_4576779_reflective-essay-paper_. html. [Accessed: 09 February 2012] Trejos, C. M. A. (2008) Using journals for learners’ reflection and self-assessment. The internet TESL journal. 14 (10). (Online) available at: http://iteslj. org/Techniques/Arciniegas-LearnersJournals. html. [Accessed last: 10 February 2012] Zimmerman, B. J. (2000). Attainment of self-regulation: A social cognitive perspective. In M. Boekaerts, P. R. Pintrich, & M. Zeidner (Eds. ), Handbook of self-regulation (pp. 13-39). San Diego, CA: AcademicPress. Zimmerman, B. J. (2002). Becoming a self-regulated learner: an overview. Theory into practice, 41 (2), p. 64-70.